The Changing Face of MES

MES, as we know it, is a set of software that performs operational task executions: product track & trace, genealogy, quality, along with a host of other activities that provide manufacturers with the ability to make informed decisions on the proceedings and progress of their manufacturing operations. The definition has permutated over the years to be a broad-brush capture of ANY kind of overseer application, and so we’re finding Quality, LIMS, Historian, and even HMI applications calling themselves “MES.”

Mobile Dashboard- All in One Glance.

"Mobile Dashboards....Is it something to replace my car dashboard?  :) "

A mobile dashboard is a simple view of selected data, associated with an business entity, through a suitable mobile application for business purpose. Business, administrative and managerial usage of mobile phones need innovative and efficient mobile software that can present business data into a form that is usable and understandable by business community and mangers. Achievement of this objective is done by mobile dashboard software available with mobile business intelligence package or in standalone application. Mobile dashboard can be also be used for social connect, personal usage, gaming, expense tracker etc. The mobile software products which function to integrate local or remotely available data and information into an integrated display are known as dashboards.

"Hmm...Got it...how do one use it in real time?"

A good mobile dashboard must be an single screen view of all information to be seen by the mobile user.  For example – Mr. Salesman is a dynamic person who goes to client, takes order, track delivery and collect payments. In this mobile business intelligence era he also uses mobile application to all his data and companies centralized database. He also gets his targets, progress and other assignments from mobile app only. So in his mobile app he will have a single screen view of information on his mobile about his progress, targets, tracking, new assignments and other information from management side. Similarly company employes many salesman, and each one has it's own dashboard that present individual data to them. Now similarly Mr. Sales Manager, who has responsibility of performance of his team of all salesmen, interested to view overall figures of his team. So he will have a dashboard that will show a summary of total figures, performance of individual team members, achievement, lagging and other information in a single screen.

"Okey..but how do I get it...which is best dashboard? Will it suit to my requirement?"

Different business enterprises require different dashboard structure as per their nature and mode of operations. Even different departments within an enterprise may require different dashboard. A mobile dashboard for a business purpose, need be designed in a structure that it represent core business operation detail pertaining to objective tasks, responsible person, and help management to take appropriate decision. A large number of open source applications are available by mobile software providers to address business, social or personal dashboards requirement. You can also get a customized software from your technology vendor. Advanced dashboards allows you to select data on specific parameters, drill down details, mark your comments,  visualize more graphic details etc on a single screen dashboard.

Rapid technology changes may obsolete your device and it's software after a period. A new device may work on a completely different platform. So a mobile dashboard system, which can work on cross-platform technologies, is highly required.

Why I Chose Automation as a Career

Or rather, how it chose me.  I did not start out with a career goal of being a marketing person in the industrial automation industry.  But choices lead me to working for a manufacturing company building coated optics. I was exposed to quality, manufacturing, production control, sales and marketing—an entire supply chain’s worth of experience. I inspected solar cell covers, did technical writing for the process engineering group, used scientific instruments to measure the thickness and wavelength of the coatings within the quality department, and finally, ended up in sales and marketing.  That experience over 9 years gave me a quest for understanding how things were made, an interest that stays with me until this day.

Mobile Business Intelligence in Your Smartphones

If past decade belongs to information revolution by IT then this decade belongs to Information revolution by Smartphones and tablets. Mobile phones devices are now rapidly being seen by us as business purpose devices instead merely communication devices. Smartphones and other wireless portable information processing devices are now being used in your departmental store, medical center, banks, financial institute, offices, security systems, educational systems and many more places in day to day operation. Usage of these devices is now helping in management decision making to tackle market competition, optimization of business processes, efficient employee utilization, quality and satisfactory customer services and recording of real time business data to data ware house for future use. More and more business usage of high end portable devices by us has now given birth to the need to effective system that can store such all information securely and make it available for use at mobile or table for its user. Today, Mobile Business Intelligent system addresses this very need only.

Mobile business intelligence refer to a system that enables globally located mobile devices and tablet computers to use the centrally stored information or data by one or more suitable mobile application(s) for reporting and data analysis. Mobile Business Intelligence enables a user to access recorded data, patterns, information in a more understandable form of business operations. By accessing this data user can use techniques of BI using suitable mobile application for prediction, decision making, and graphical presentation and for MIS. Business Intelligence does always, in any form, help management in decision making system, so 'MBI'. How does Mobile Business Intelligence work?

Now a large number of tools are available for different mobile platforms (such as Android, Symbions, Windows etc) to facilitate the purpose of Mobile Business Intelligence. These tool includes both mobile browser based applications and installable softwares applications or native applications. Using these applications you’re Smartphones or tablets fetch data from remotely located dataware house over a secure channel using SMS, GPRS, UTMS or mobile radio/voice channel. Business enterpises and technology vendors are now looking for each other to explore the new horizone of mobile business intelligence by addressing specific business needs, customer requirements and direction of the market. Smartphone/Tablet OS platforms now provide a number of applications to server small to big business need of information processing practically. Presenting your data, reports or plan using such application is very effective and convenient. Micro-Strategy is now demand of business scenario to meet the business need. Is Mobile Business Intelligence safe for my business?

Information security is a seriously critical concern when adopting mobile business intelligent system. In Mobile Business Intelligence, Data loss and data theft are two prime risks that can be seen as a security concern. Data loss may be caused by physical damage to devise, virus attack or misusing application. This can be mitigated by a prompt and effective backup system and disaster management system in Mobile Business Intelligence. This should be followed by a quick recovery system. To stop the data theft, mobile business intelligence system provider must address the security at Devise, Data Transmission, User Authorization and Authentication, and Network Security levels. There has to be strict policy related to data access from various user levels. Mobile business platform must be in synchronization with Smartphone/tablets platforms to secure the access of application and data. Data of business application should not be stored for a long on mobile devices. How can I use Mobile business intelligence in my business?

Creating a mobile work force is easy if you already have a information technology systrem in your enterprise. Select a suitable devise and platform to use and get a suitable mobile business intelligence system from a long list of available system or get a customised software for your business enterprise. You are all ready to go for mobile business intelligence after small training. Adoption mobile BI is also helping enterprises to decrease the operation cost. Now suitable application can be built without software programming using latest Mobile programming and  OS supported utilities. What future Mobile Business Intelligence has?

Mobile Business Intelligence has till miles to go. It has proved it's worthiness. Now steps are being taken to make it integrates with life of common person and to make human life better. More and more improvement in portable devices, mobile and tablets, will push more and more applications of mobile business intelligence in business world.

Using Workflow for Expanded Collaboration

Invensys has offered two workflow products now for over 2 years.  The first, Skelta BPM, is an enterprise-driven workflow tool, meant to standardize processes and foster communication/collaboration among the business users in a company.  The second product, which I am intimately involved with, is ArchestrA Workflow Software.  It uses the base engine of Skelta, with extensions, connectors, and functionality specifically for the industrial user.

Ways to Boost Sales Using Mobile business Intelligence

Mobile business intelligence can be one of the greatest tools to promote business and achieve a great number of sales if used properly. Mobile Business intelligence highly influences sales of any particular company. There are many proofs which show that sales are affected by Mobile business intelligence. Below is one reason that can be considered as a proof.

Use of cognition methods in different deals:

Having an application of Mobile business intelligence in hand, different company sales teams can notice and record key points that help win deal. This helps team members know what is required to close a deal successful and what can be done for improvement if the deal doesn’t go well. It also gives privilege to discuss wining techniques in company meetings so members who are weak can be benefitted from. This helps make weak members expert and those who are already skilful can concentrate on polishing skills by viewing techniques of their colleague members.

As mobile business intelligence is commonly equipped with reporting equipment as well, this helps different companies not only to keep track of their sales team performance but also the performance of their products as well. Different measures can be taken immediately via using mobile business intelligence and it helps boost sales in most cases.

Buying cycle review and monitoring:

The revenue of any particular manufacturing company depends on the customers buying cycle. Whenever a customer buys particular company’s product, companies earn some profit depending upon their profit margin. That’s why its importance for manufacturing companies to keep note of customers buying cycle and to note crucial points such as duration of the year when demand is highest and when demand of product is lowest. As mobile business intelligence applications cover mobile reporting, it makes the process to collect data from customers buying cycle regarding company’s products very easy. This data is lot crucial to companies because lot part of their strategy to generate revenue is based on it.

Time savers:

One of the greatest problems for the company is to assign individuals on different activities which hardly generate any revenue for the company but still are important activities for the company’s future. However solution to this problem was found in the form of Mobile business intelligence applications. These applications allow individuals to perform activities only those who yield profits for the company and to shift attention to high revenue activities as per priority. Increased revenue for company results in higher bonuses and rewards for company employees and it increases efficiency in work system of the company as well. Thus the use of mobile business intelligence generates only win-win situation and as activities are shifted priority wise among different employees, it saves a lot of time as well.

Not Just Vapor, The Cloud Is Real And Can Be Secure | Automation World

Invensys and others describe the real benefits of the cloud, specifically addressing security concerns.  This is especially relevant to the manufacturing community, that considers their information "Intellectual Property" and must guard it at all costs:

Not Just Vapor, The Cloud Is Real And Can Be Secure | Automation World

Caliel: The future of automation | ISA

"Attempting to define the “future of automation” is a real challenge, especially considering the complexity of today’s industrial operations and automation systems", says Mike Caliel, President of Invensys Operations Management.

Read the complete article in INTech >> Caliel: The future of automation | ISA